Introduction: The optimum length of a ventricular catheter placed in Korean population would be difficult to determine using known Caucasian data because of the differences in head shapes between Mongoloid and Caucasian populations. Mongoloid heads were rounder than Caucasian counterparts, with a flatter back and forehead. This study aimed to determine the optimum length for Mongoloid populations of a ventricular catheter.
Methods: Between 1996 and 2015, 139 consecutive adult patients underwent a new ventricular CSF shunting procedure via the occipital approach and were retrospectively assessed with a mean follow-up of 20.1 months by their medical records, perioperative radiographic studies, and, when necessary, direct patient contact. To assess the proper ventricular catheter placement, the patients were divided into 2 groups, those with and without appropriate ventricular catheter placement. Also, we investigated the optimum length of ventricular catheter using anthropometric data from normal brain CT imagines of 300 consecutive head trauma patients (150 males and 150 females) and/or a newly developed preoperative CT-guide marking method.
Results: Korean and Western population had differences in their head shapes: Korean head breadth and length (mean 159 mm and 185 mm, respectively) vs. Caucasian head breadth and length from The Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource (mean 154 mm and 199 mm, respectively). The head length/breath ratio between Korean and Caucasian population was 1.16 vs. 1.29. 84 patients were grouped to the appropriate group with mean length of catheter 98 mm, and 55 were found to be in the inappropriate group with mean length of catheter 106 mm (P < 0.01). The shunt failure rate was significantly higher in the inappropriate group than in the appropriate group (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Surgeons should be aware of the head shape differences between Korean and Caucasian, and Korean should be considered to have shorter optimum length of ventricular catheter than Caucasian.
Patient Care: Decrease in shunt failure rate
Learning Objectives: 1. newly developed preoperative CT-guide marking method
2. Korean and Western population had differences in their head shapes.